Exciting Updates on Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4, Big Promotions, and the Epic Journey of the USS Voyager!

Summary

In Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, the Lower Deckers are promoted to Lieutenant, junior grades, bringing new responsibilities and a mysterious new enemy.

The addition of the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds crossover brought a heightened sense of realism and depth to the characters in Lower Decks, enticing new viewers. The season strives to appeal to both newcomers and long-time fans by maintaining the episodic and TOS-style storytelling, while also introducing an overarching narrative and providing fresh insights into other starships.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4, Episodes 1 & 2! Season 4 of Star Trek: Lower Decks introduces fresh dangers and promotions for the Lower Deckers. The season opener, helmed by supervising director Brian J. Kelly, reunites fans with the iconic starship from Star Trek: Voyager.

In this new season of Star Trek: Lower Decks, Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid), Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome), D'Vana Tendi (Noel Wells), and Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) are all promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, junior grade. Alongside these advancements, they face new responsibilities and tackle crises arising from an enigmatic adversary wreaking havoc on starships throughout the galaxy.

Supervising Director Barry Kelly Talks Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4

Supervising director Brian J. Kelly discussed the valuable lessons learned by Star Trek: Lower Decks and Strange New Worlds from the crossover. The inclusion of the USS Voyager, the Lower Deckers' promotions, and the potential appearance of Star Trek: Enterprise on the show were all explored in this conversation. Co-producer Brad Winters provided additional trivia and clarification. It is important to acknowledge that this article was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and the creation of the show being discussed would not have been possible without the dedication of the writers and actors from both unions.

Screen Rant: In season 4, Lower Decks feels really confident, and sure of itself and what it can do. Is that a fair assessment?

Barry J. Kelly: It's crucial that everything is accurate. Our team is running smoothly, focusing on executing the scripts and scope to the best of our abilities. If people perceive it that way, then that's excellent. Right from the first episode of season 1, the writing was exceptional, allowing me to instantly grasp the essence of each character based on Mike's script. I'm hopeful that viewers are starting to notice the same.

Mike always mentions that things reach their peak in season 3 for some reason, and hopefully, [Lower Decks] is now beginning to showcase its potential. It's becoming apparent to everyone that these characters are incredibly strong and remarkable. We can't confine them to the same level; they will continue to grow and advance in their roles as highly skilled and talented Starfleet Officers. How can we possibly hold them back?

Lower Decks had an incredible crossover with Strange New Worlds. How did you and the Lower Decks team feel about the crossover? What was your reaction when you finally saw it?

Brian J. Kelly: It was absolutely fantastic. We were thrilled with how well it turned out. There's almost a circular dynamic where each show elevates the other. We were able to break some rules and bring the chaos of Lower Decks into their world, which added an extra sense of realism and depth to our characters. Our show is quite dense, fitting a 44-minute Star Trek episode into just 22 minutes. Even the brief glimpses we show of each storyline come together to create a complete narrative. Seeing Tawny and Jack in the live-action world added yet another layer of texture to our characters.

I feel that animation is often underestimated by some adults who primarily watch live-action shows and dismiss cartoons as something only for kids. I hope that the crossover element in this content sparks their interest a bit and makes them consider checking out the Lower Decks show because, surprisingly, it resembles a Star Trek show.

Speaking of which, did the possibility of new viewers exploring Lower Decks have any influence on the making of season 4? Were any adjustments or accommodations made to appeal to a wider audience or attract new Star Trek fans?

Brian J. Kelly believes that the appeal of Lower Decks lies in its adherence to the storytelling style of TOS and its episodic nature. The characters are designed to be easily recognizable for first-time viewers, even if they jump into a random episode. As a director, Kelly aims to cater to new viewers by ensuring that even in later episodes, basic concepts like how a phaser works are explained. This approach of providing entry points for newcomers is reminiscent of the way Marvel Comics used to operate.

In addition to maintaining this familiar episodic format, the current season of Lower Decks introduces a unique storyline involving a mysterious ship that is destroying other Lower Decks vessels. Despite this ongoing narrative, the show still maintains its core focus on exploring the lower decks of various spaceships, not just the Cerritos. This perspective offers a fresh and enjoyable viewpoint for viewers. Kelly likens the show to a sci-fi version of Downton Abbey, a drama that delves into the lives of people in a different social stratum. However, he jokingly requests not to inform Mike, presumably another individual involved in the show's production.

Did the actors have an opportunity to come together and record with each other for season 4, considering the way in which COVID influenced the production of earlier seasons, with actors delivering their lines remotely from their homes?

Brian J. Kelly: I believe we haven't had much experience with ensemble acting. However, when it comes to cartoons, there is a certain beauty in doing both. Working in an ensemble allows for unexpected energy to emerge, but at times, it can lead to repetitive lines when the characters bounce off each other. Andrea Romano is a remarkable voice director and her approach, along with ours, allows actors to deliver the same line three times, each time with a unique variation, without any prompting. There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches.

Now, when it comes to our actors' strength, you wouldn't think they were recording separately. The chemistry between Tawny, Noel, Jack, and Eugene is incredible. They work together so well and it's adorable. They speak their lines faster than I thought possible for an actor, yet it effortlessly flows and blends with one another. The cast on the show is outstanding. I wish we could have every character in every scene together, but it would be too much for the animators.

Brad Winters mentioned that in season 1, there were only a few instances where Tawny, Jack, Eugene, Noel, and Dawn recorded together. Specifically, these interactions occurred in episodes one through three, resulting in perhaps just one line of dialogue. Brad jokingly suggested that if all of them were to come together for a recording session, people would be willing to pay for the opportunity to witness it, expressing his own interest in doing so.

Brian J. Kelly: A table read.

Brad Winters: Oh, I stand corrected. There was indeed the initial table read. However, it should be noted that not everyone attended as some roles had not been assigned at that time. Hence, it has occurred a total of four times throughout the series' existence.

In episode 401, Voyager made a comeback! What were the difficulties in transforming VOY into animation?

Brian J. Kelly: Yeah, it's not just a regular crew member making an appearance, Voyager is the guest star of the show. It's our flagship for that episode. I absolutely adore the theme and the musical score. It was fantastic to have the opportunity to use it. We feature it twice, at the beginning and the end. And if you're a fan of Voyager, I hope you can see that we have a deep admiration for it. We wanted to convey our love for Voyager through the heartfelt and passionate score, and the way we edited the episode. When Boimler is brimming with excitement as the score plays at the end, I hope that sentiment is evident to viewers who appreciate Voyager.

The episode contains Easter eggs and a minor spoiler in the title, "Twovix." It combines a Voyager storyline on the Cerritos and a chaotic mess on the actual Voyager, which is very entertaining. We enjoy incorporating the stranger aspects of Voyager, such as holograms. "Tuvix" is an ideal Star Trek episode to reference due to its excellent moral dilemma and the difficult decision to deal with Tuvix. Additionally, it suits the animation medium perfectly, allowing us to create hybrid animal alien designs and feature holographic black and white sci-fi villains with nano viruses. We selected the most animation-friendly elements from Voyager for this episode.

Considering the return of Voyager and the appearance of DS9 last season, are there any plans to bring back Enterprise? We would like to see Bakula return.

Brian J. Kelly: (laughs) We certainly make references to Enterprise. Shax is seen wearing an Enterprise-era uniform when he returns in 203. We also mention someone in relation to a specific engineering element. It's a classic.

Brad Winters: And there's even more. We are currently working on the Easter egg document, which contains numerous references to Enterprise.

Brian J. Kelly: I couldn't help but laugh when Riker sang the song lyrics for the first time I read it.

Brad Winters: Shax mentioning T'Pol's hair was a highlight for us. We have always been fans of Enterprise. We appreciate every Star Trek series.

Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 has Voyager-A. Did they know you're bringing the OG VOY back?

Brad Winters: Discussions took place.

Brian J. Kelly: It was suggested that Voyager should become a museum, correct? We considered the idea of landing it in a specific time period when it was brought back to Earth before it ventured into space again. Our concept was to portray the grand opening of the Voyager museum. These talks aimed to ensure our shows don't overlap in terms of storylines or concepts.

Our characters possess distinct traits, and our eras exhibit enough variation to avoid repetition. However, we simply wish to prevent any similarities, such as a crashing moon colliding with a planet.

In season 4, the Lower Deckers experience promotions. Does this serve as a central theme for the season? Ascending the Starfleet hierarchy?

Brian J. Kelly states that the Lower Deckers cannot be held back. They are beginning to experience more responsibility and maturity. Boimler had a taste of it on the Titan, but ultimately reverted back to being an Ensign. New Ensigns will be introduced and the promoted Lower Deckers will lead away missions. Boimler, in particular, will lead his first away mission. The characters will grapple with impostor syndrome and feel pressured to be perfect Starfleet officers. Ultimately, they will learn to trust their instincts and be true to themselves when making decisions.

These elements of self-doubt and self-discovery will always be central to Lower Decks and its characters. The Lower Deckers often deceive themselves but ultimately confront the truth. In episode 502, there is a humorous moment where they all leave the bunks, except for Rutherford.

Brad Winters: 4.02.

Brian J. Kelly: What did I say? We're still finishing season 4, and I'm in the middle of starting season 5. And my head, my brain is scattered between two worlds right now.

About Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4

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The USS Cerritos, one of the least significant ships in Starfleet, takes center stage in Star Trek: Lower Decks. The show follows Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, and Rutherford in season 4, as they navigate their promotions within Starfleet and confront a new enigmatic danger to the galaxy. Catch Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 every Thursday, exclusively on Paramount+.